Well its finally here! My favorite time of year!!! September is not only my birthday month but it is the kick off to the “BER” months and the holidays!!! Away goes summer activities and out comes the fall decor. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!
Warning: This post will be long! Because I have much to share and September is super special to me!!!
I passionately love the holidays and this time of year, the memories, the nostalgia, the traditions, the decorations, every little bit of it! I’m a holiday fanatic!!!! And I don’t believe in saving Christmas fun, decor and shopping for December either! The way I see it, I decorate for fall in September, so therefore Autumn decor gets nearly 3 full months!!! So why should Christmas only get 1 measily month? Christmas cheer starts early for me. I follow Christmas countdowns all year long. I watch Hallmark Christmas in July! I’ve been known to watch movies like Elf (my fav) and The Grinch throughout the year with my grandkids! The peace and joy of Christmas is great to experience anytime! But especially throughout the “BER” months when pumpkin everything is everywhere!
I have been especially excited for fall time to get here this year for so many reasons!! It’s gonna be such a great ride!
-August 20th started off the end of the year festivities and expectations with the birth of my 6th grandchild, Jhett Colson, weighing in at 8lbs 6oz being the second son for my 1st born son and 2nd born child, Colin, and his beautiful wife and my beloved added daughter, Kyli.
-But the fun doesn’t stop there! You all know Brittany Williams, my eldest child, has a cookbook coming out and will be released on October 2nd!!!! We couldn’t be prouder and so excited for her and her family!! I’m sure it will be such an exciting time for all of us!!!
-October will also bring my husband, Dans, 50th birthday to celebrate! So excited! We have some special family time planned.
-Then this year for Thanksgiving we will have ALL of our children and grandchildren together and there will be family photos taken for this momentous and first time event! Makes this mommas heart so happy!
-Then in early December I get to check off a bucklist item. Dan and I will be going to NYC for the first time and at my favorite time of year! Christmastime in NYC to me is just simply enchanting and has been a desire of my heart for as long as I can remember. Eeek!
-Then of course Christmas!!!!! My absolute favorite!!
All that to say, yay for September!
Let’s get to our weight loss saga. I have to admit it’s been hard and not a lot of successful moments to report to you in August. I started out August actually up 1.6lbs from the month before (a whole month before). Many ups and downs. We tried so hard, many times, to get back on track and stick to it. We know from past experience that if we add back in sugar and gluten and other bad food choices we will not loose weight and depending on how often these splurges are, we WILL gain. I wish I could report to you that August 1st we started fresh, back on track and the weight loss started to happen. But humbly I admit are lackadaisical attitudes continued well into the month. Summer has always been hard for us and August we celebrate several birthdays. The combination of celebrations and already weak resolve mixed with a little burn out and vacation mentality is a recipe for disaster, for us.
We found ourselves slowly gaining weight throughout August. With some loss, at times, then right back up on the scale. By the third week I was back up to 208lbs and so devastated with that number. I can fluctuate within 5lb without feeling to bad about myself but at 208 I was well above that 5lbs. I found myself desperate to do something drastic, so I decided to do a juice cleanse. Which I do have past experience with. I know they work to detox and cleanse and help shed a few pounds and act as a reset for your body, taste buds and appetite. Also while helping to shrink your tummy.
So I chose to start with a 3 day cleanse and add on if I felt good and able to continue. I ended up completing a 5 day cleanse. I just chose a cleanse from a local cold-pressed juice shop. They are all very similar. You can even order them online to be delivered to your home. The results were good. I went from 208 down to 199 after 5 full days. When doing this type of cleanse some of what you loose is water weight.
So once you start eating again usually a slight increase over the first few days is normal. So within 3 days I was at 202lbs. I held steady all the last week and then got some personal bad news 2 days before weigh in and struggled hard. Dan brought home Subway one night and pizza the next, the night before we weighed to “comfort” me. (Old habits die hard). I’m being real, we aren’t perfect in all our ways. The scale will reflect it!
My struggles with weight loss are not just limited to summertime! They absolutely follow me into the fall and holidays for obvious reasons. Anytime we have ever dieted or followed a healthy lifestyle eating plan in the past, our weight loss has always slowed down or been stunted during the second half of the year. This year my goal and hope is to overcome those struggles and be able to report weight loss successes even throughout the “BER” months! I plan to replace cravings with healthier choices like the pumpkin scone and muffin recipes from Instant Loss. Lots of soups and stew, using Instant Loss recipes, autumn meal plan and of course recipes from the new cookbook! Coming October 2nd!
We love to eat out on the weekends! Most of the healthier eating restaurants are a 40 min drive away, so not always convenient. So we often settle for places local to us that have healthy choices on the menu amongst all the bad choices. This is a challenge for us especially the last 2 months. Eating out can be okay and a nice break from cooking if you have the strength to make the best choices. This is one area where we have struggled.
We also have to be aware of our mindset and the little red flags that lead to unhealthy choices or over eating. When we have a bad day, we want to eat comfort food. When we have a stressful day, we want to eat comfort food. When we have something to celebrate, we want comfort food. It is important when ideas for those comfort foods pop into our mind to recognize what is happening and set our thoughts on something other than food. The struggle is real and one I’m sure many of you relate to.
All this to say two things, first that we have not been perfect in our journey and it shows on the scale. But we will journey on! Secondly, happy BER months to everyone!!! Enjoy the season!
Our numbers on the scale for SeptemBER 1st:
Dan:
257.2 no loss for August (-41.8 total)
Me:
203 +1.8 for August (-47 total)
Some months are just hard. You guys are doing amazing! September is like a new January . Back into routines and a fresh start from summer. You guys got this!
I’m right there with you, I’m struggling to stay below 180….I just can’t get away from it. But it’s only because I choose it when I make bad choices, so my new idea is to ask myself what weight am I going to choose today. I will let you know if this helps me. Maybe it will be helpful to you too ! Keep battling on. …
Your weight loss for the year has been amazing! Be proud of what you’ve Accomplished! Those before and after pictures show you how far you’ve come.
We started at the same weight in January and I too have struggled over the summer months and vacations etc but I am back at it and with a couple of pounds more than you. I really enjoy following your story and having you as a monthly motivation! Keep at it!
Where did you order your juices from?
Hi Beth!
Rebecca did a cleanse at a local shop by her. I would recommend calling around in your area to see if you can find any that offer a juice cleanse.
Ally
Instant Loss Team
After 3 weeks following Brittney’s meal plan I’ve lost 4.5 pounds. The other night I went to my granddaughters soccer game and it was very late when it was over. My daughter bought my supper. Raising Canes! I felt bloated and just yucky the rest of the night, had “hot” flashes and my tummy was not happy. Proved to me that fast, processed food is bad for me!
I’m also there with you! At 64, I’ve carried this weight for a long time and it doesn’t want to go anywhere. I’m down 54#, and the last 16 just don’t want to leave. So I do my best not to regress and celebrate even a .5# loss. BTW, you look great.
I love reading your updates and I think you guys are just great! I resonate so much with your journey and the ups and downs. It’s a marathon, not a race, and you already are doing so so well. I am encouraged by you!
Rebecca you’re looking so good!! Proud of you! You’ve come so far!!! <3 Way to go!
Thank you so much for sharing, it makes you feel not alone in this journey. I pre-ordered my cookbook and I can not wait to get it. I decided to start exercising and I am happy to say that I will complete 6 week tomorrow. I am however struggling terribly with making good food choices. I can do great all day long and them BAM, I am home and I am tired from being up since 4:20am and then the next thing I know I have stuffed my face with whatever is handy. I personally am a summer time girl and I love the sun and the pool and all that jazz. I do not like the cold winter and I am dreading that because I am afraid that I will struggle to get out in the morning because I truly dislike the cold weather and it is dark when I leave in the morning because i work out before I go to work. The weight loss is so slow but in 6 weeks I have nearly lost 10″ and 5lbs. Here is to staying focused and moving forward! 🙂
Such honesty and transparency! Many people on this forum will appreciate it! Also glad that you are remembering that it is a journey and not just a destination. Good work!
So appreciate your honesty! Your perseverance is encouraging! As someone who lives 40 miles from NYC we are there often. Just want to recommend you see the tree in Bryant Park it’s very festive, and there’s also a great winter village there too! And it’s right behind the New York Public Library, a beautiful piece of architecture inside and out!